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quisph's Comments
Re: Derren Brown: Real-Live Zombie Game
I'm not saying that hypnosis itself is far-fetched. In fact, I used to assist a stage hypnotist. I'm only saying that not all claims made *about* hypnosis are true. And just because Derren Brown is telling us that he achieved a certain result using hypnosis, that doesn't make it true. It could be a combination of hypnosis and some other trickery. And I don't mean just using trickery to achieve reliable results, but using trickery to achieve *impossible* results. I hope that makes sense.
By: quisph
Re: Derren Brown: Real-Live Zombie Game
Hypnosis is "real" only for certain definitions of "real." There is a vast difference between what science means by "hypnosis" and what mentalists mean by it. The mentalists' version of hypnosis is largely fake.
By: quisph
Re: Real-Live Zombie Game
Derren Brown is an illusionist. It's kind of an open secret that he's at least halfway pulling your leg whenever he offers an "explanation" for one of his stunts.
My guess is that the subject was hypnotized in advance, before he even started playing the game. It's stage hypnotism without a stage, the only difference being that instead of telling his subject to act like a chicken, Derren told him to act like he was playing a video game, fending off a horde of zombies, etc. With a little clever editing, he put it all together to make it look like the game caused the trance, when in reality the flashes of light had nothing to do with it.
My guess is that the subject was hypnotized in advance, before he even started playing the game. It's stage hypnotism without a stage, the only difference being that instead of telling his subject to act like a chicken, Derren told him to act like he was playing a video game, fending off a horde of zombies, etc. With a little clever editing, he put it all together to make it look like the game caused the trance, when in reality the flashes of light had nothing to do with it.
By: quisph
Re: Common Sense Is Worthless In Science
Pet peeve: The audio in these videos always sounds like it was recorded through a drive-thru speaker. If you're planning to make a serious hobby out of making these kinds of videos, drop a little dough on a halfway decent mic & preamp.
By: quisph
Re: Buttocks or bullets
Anyone conspicuously displaying a weapon at an event like this KNOWS that it is likely to be perceived as a threat. If this were not their intent, they would not be doing it. Any other motive they might claim is a secondary one, if not entirely disingenuous.
By: quisph
Re: David Lynch: Lumiere et Compagnie
Most of the other directors just played around with the camera and didn't seem to take the challenge seriously. David Lynch was one of the few who did, and his contribution absolutely blew the rest of them away.
By: quisph
Re: Penn & Teller Bullshit: College
The "level of education" I am referring to is, in fact, high school vs. associate's degree vs. bachelor's degree, etc. Higher levels are strongly correlated with higher income. This is not in any way a controversial statement.
If you want me to take your point seriously, you need to show that "self education" is likely to produce the same results, or better. Not by cherry-picking examples, but with actual statistics.
Good luck with that.
If you want me to take your point seriously, you need to show that "self education" is likely to produce the same results, or better. Not by cherry-picking examples, but with actual statistics.
Good luck with that.
By: quisph
Re: Penn & Teller Bullshit: College
A few cherry-picked counterexamples does not refute the fact that median income is VERY strongly correlated with level of education.
By: quisph
Re: Letterman: Dave Discusses Sarah Palin
The right wing excels at phony indignation. They are very good at finding the least flattering interpretation that can be twisted out of someone's words, and asserting with dead earnestness that that is exactly what they meant to say by it (cf. "lipstick on a pig"). It's one of their favorite tactics.
By: quisph
Re: MTV Movie Awards 09: Bruno Owns Eminem
Sacha Baron Cohen's MO is the bait and switch; getting people to agree to participate in something (and getting that agreement in writing), while omitting certain key details. According to some rumors, Eminem was aware that Bruno would be descending from the ceiling and landing in his lap... They just neglected to mention which end would be up.
By: quisph
Re: Takei: California Court Fails Prop. 8
I disagree. Although the editing seems a bit lazy and by-the-numbers, if this were a heterosexual couple, would you have thought twice about it?
By: quisph
